West Hartford Moms Open Gym With Workouts, Schedules Especially Appealing To Parents

Mommy Minute: Gym With A Unique Approach

A West Hartford gym has taken a unique approach to fitness.

A West Hartford gym has taken a unique approach to fitness.

SARAH CODY,Special To The Courant

West Hartford moms open gym for all with workouts and schedules especially appealing to parents.

Getting in shape can be overwhelming. "I had this idea of Boot Camp as someone screaming at you," says Laura Keever, who got up the courage to give it a try, alongside her friend Mary Kate Doyle, both West Hartford moms of three. "I quickly became addicted. I loved the way that I felt. I loved the way that I started to look and having that one hour for me." But the women knew their experience could be even better. "We found good workouts, we found OK pricing, we found a bunch of different things but we didn't find them all at the same place," says Doyle. "We had this crazy idea to just go for it and create it." Now these friends own Work In Progress (WIP) Fitness in West Hartford and believe their unique perspective equals success.

"I'm never going to give up wine and I'm never going to give up cheese, that's not who I am. And I think that's OK. It's all about balance," explains Doyle, a "regular" mom with a marketing background, not an exercise fanatic. "We go through the same things you go through and I think that gives us real legitimacy." Keever, who had a career in human resources, agrees. "We're working out next to them [clients], we're sweating with them, we're taking breaks and pushing ourselves and not always successful but getting up and doing it again." With a family-friendly commitment to flexibility, the gym offers babysitting services, as well as a varied schedule of classes.

The women employ skilled trainers, able to help anyone, even an inexperienced newcomer. "It's the least intimidating gym I've ever been to and I'm so proud of that," says Keever. "We're all rooting for each other." She loves to see clients reach personal goals, such as running a 5K. "The most exciting thing was being able to do the monkey bars with my kids. That, for me, was a really big accomplishment!" Their daily version of Boot Camp moves participants around stations, where they lift weights, plank, lunge, squat and work their arms on a rope system. "You get this high and you feel like you can do anything," says Heather Fronczek, a mom of twins, in the best shape of her life.

Keever and Doyle smile as they recite WIP's motto: "Get in, get out, get on with life." They believe we are better moms when we take the time to clear our minds and improve our health. They know because they're living it: carpooling, working during school hours, juggling a new career with family while inspiring others. "Sometimes Laura and I have to stop and say, 'It's happening, we did it,'" says Doyle. "It's an amazing feeling."

For more information, check out wipfitness.com/ and watch today's Fox CT Morning News.